BOLD VENTURES July & August 2025
Western Pennsylvania Blind Outdoor Leisure Development
Summer has arrived and at this writing it is about as hot as it gets around Pittsburgh.
But BOLD does not believe in the lazy days of summer, we have lots of summer stuff for you to do. So, get ready to mark your calendar!
JULY CALENDAR
Tuesdays, July 1, 15, and 29, from 10 am to 1:30 pm, Mall Walking at the Monroeville Mall. Cost is free. Lunch is on your own at the food court. Sighted guides and visually impaired walkers sign up by 11 am the Tuesday prior to the walk by calling Peggy at 412-683-6070 or text/call her at 412-977-2351. So, to sign up for July 1, contact Peggy by 11 am Tuesday, June 24, for July 15 contact Peggy by 11 am July 8, and for July 29 contact Peggy by 11 am July 22. Be sure to sign up so that if there is any change or cancellation for mall walking, you will get the information.
Saturdays, July 5, 12, and 19, from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, Spring/Summer Blind and Visually Impaired Tennis Clinics, Highland Park tennis courts. To sign up or ask any questions contact Lori, VP, Highland Park Tennis Club, 412-951-8223.
Monday, July 7, No BOLD Board Meeting this month; it will be back in August.
Wednesday, July 9, from 1 to 2 pm, BOLD Vision Support Group, on BOLD Conference Line 385-799-9487. Join BOLD member Amelie Colletti—Community Mental Health Professional and Client Intake Specialist at VisAbility Pittsburgh—for a supportive phone-based group for individuals with vision loss. Connect with others who understand your journey, share resources, celebrate successes, and offer mutual encouragement.
To RSVP call/text Amelie at 412-266-9960 or email acolletti@visability.org or just call in.
Wednesday, July 9 and 23, from 7 to 9:30 pm, SE Wisconsin BOLD virtual bingo, for all the sign-up information leave a voicemail or text Tammi at 412-951-6528 or email at tswiantek@comcast.net. Have fun!
Saturday, July 19, from 10 am to 12:30 pm, roller Skating, Bloomfield Dek Hockey, 4117 Ewing Street, 15224. Arrive by 10 am, skating will begin at 10:30. Thanks to Hana Goodman of Switch and Signal for organizing this event and providing pads and protective gear. Thanks go to PGH SK8 a Pittsburgh community nonprofit, for providing quad skates. Come join us for some roller skating. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced skater or you haven’t been on skates for a long time, no worries, we’ve got you covered. Experienced roller skating instructors will be on hand to offer you whatever you need to just get out there. When you make your reservation, be sure to include your shoe size so that the correct size of skates will be waiting for you. Drinks will be provided and bring a snack if you like. Note: in case it is new to you, Dek (that is d e k) hockey is another name for street hockey. Make your reservation with Carol by 8 pm Saturday July 12 by calling or texting her at 484-318-9145.
Saturday, July 26, from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, Tandem Biking on the Panhandle Trail. No cost for bikes or lunch. The parking lot for the access point is across from the intersection of Main Street and Station Street Sturgeon. The landmark is Hunner’s Pizza, 811 Station St Sturgeon, PA 15082. The Panhandle Trail is a very quiet ride, mostly level with some very gentle slopes. Total riding time will be about two hours. Riding starts and ends near Hunner’s Pizza, so we’ll enjoy pizza for lunch. We need some sighted bikers to captain the tandem bikes and provide rides to and from the trailhead. Scotto will be there early to give tips and instructions of being a tandem captain and pair up captains and stokers. We will provide tandem bikes. However, if you know of a tandem we can use, please let us know about it. If you are a willing captain with questions, contact Scotto at scottog@yahoo.com. Everyone should make their reservation by 9 pm Saturday, July 19. Sighted captains contact Scotto at scottog@yahoo.com; visually impaired stokers contact Carol at 484-318-9145.
AUGUST CALENDAR
Saturday, August 2, from 2 to 6 pm, picnic and native plant garden tour, at the back yard of Nancy and Bruce’s home, 759 Lebanon Ave, Pittsburgh, 15228. Touch and smell the native plants and even some vegetables and herbs. There will be hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill and ice cream provided. Bring a side dish or salad or snack to share. The house and back yard are fully accessible, no steps. Please note, the plants may have bugs and bees on them; however, Nancy reports she has never been stung. Make your reservation by July 26 at 8 pm with Nancy at 412-561-3972 or Nancy.leverett1@verizon.net and let her know what you are bringing to share.
Monday, August 4, from 6 to 8 pm, Board Meeting in-person at Western PA School for Blind Children, 250 N. Bellefield Avenue, Oakland. Any non-board Members who want to attend must call Nancy at 412-561-3972 by Saturday, August 2.
Wednesday, August 6 and 20, from 7 to 9:30 pm, SE Wisconsin BOLD virtual bingo, for all the sign-up information leave a voicemail or text Tammi at 412-951-6528 or email at tswiantek@comcast.net. Good luck!
Sunday, August 10, from 8:30 am to 2 pm, Water Skiing, 101 Arch Street, Verona, 15147. There is no cost thanks to the generosity of GTWC! Three Rivers Adaptive Sports (TRAS), Blind Outdoor Leisure Development (BOLD) and the Golden Triangle Water Ski Club (GTWC) will join forces for an exciting day of water skiing, food and camaraderie! TRAS, BOLD and GTWC faithful will meet at the Steel City Rowing Club boathouse and launch at 8:30 am. Skiers and volunteers will be shuttled to the GTWC Nine Mile Island facility a short pontoon boat ride away on the Allegheny River. Skiers will ride the river from 9:00 am until noon, followed by a picnic lunch during which they can enjoy good food, socialize and recap the day’s fun! If you like, bring water and a snack. If you are visually impaired and also have a physical disability, you could have the opportunity to use special equipment from Three Rivers Adaptive Sports, TRAS, that will enable you to water ski while sitting. To use their equipment, you must complete their registration form and have it submitted by August 1. The TRAS registration Form can be found on the Three Rivers Adaptive Sports web site. You also need to call Mark at TRAS at 412-848-8896 or email, mark4tras@comcast.net by August 1 or as soon as possible so they can get the correct equipment for you from storage. Reservations with BOLD are due by 9 pm on July 27 with Ryan by calling 412-592-9487.
Wednesday, August 13 from 1 to 2 pm, BOLD Vision Support Group, on BOLD Conference Line 385-799-9487. Join BOLD member Amelie Colletti—Community Mental Health Professional and Client Intake Specialist at VisAbility Pittsburgh—for a supportive phone-based group for individuals with vision loss. Connect with others who understand your journey, share resources, celebrate successes, and offer mutual encouragement. To RSVP, call/text Amelie at 412-266-9960 or email acolletti@visability.org or just call in.
Friday, August 15, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, Braddock Farm Pizza Party, Braddock Farm, 1000 Braddock Avenue and 10th Street, Braddock, 15104. There is parking available. The PRT 61A bus stops at 9th and Braddock, one block from the farm. Cost is $10. It is time to join us for our 4th annual pizza party at Braddock Farm. Come and enjoy the season’s best harvest at the peak of the season transformed into some of the best pizza around. You will also be able to make purchases of any of the fresh produce at very reasonable prices. Make your reservation by 8 pm Tuesday, August 12 with Carol at 484-318-9145
Saturday, August 16, from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, tandem biking on the Gap Trail only this time going in the opposite direction from before. We will do the slightly easier part of the ride downriver toward Boston PA first and come back upriver to our starting point for lunch. Meet at West Newton Bicycle Shop, 106 West Main St, West Newton, PA, 15089. The cost is free for the ride and either an Italian, turkey, or Veggie hoagie from Fox’s Pizza which is across the road from the bike shop. If you would like something else for lunch, you will need to pay for it yourself. We need some sighted bikers to captain the tandem bikes and provide rides to and from the trailhead. Other details see July 26. Everyone make your reservations by 9 pm Sunday, August 10 and give your order for either of the hoagie choices of Italian, turkey, or Veggie. To make your reservation, sighted captains contact Scotto at scottog@yahoo.com; visually impaired stokers contact Mike by calling 412-378-5688 or emailing mflynn1964@gmail.com
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday, September 13, Save the date, BOLD is going back to the Pittsburgh County Fair because we were asked to judge the best tomato in Pittsburgh contest once again. More details in the September BOLD Ventures.
Save these dates for Tandem Biking:
- Sunday, September 14
- Saturday, October 11
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
Note from Diana and Tony: Diana and I would like to express our appreciation to Joyce for her many years of dedication as she coordinated the tickets for the Pittsburgh Symphony and Chamber Music. Many of you may know that Joyce will be retiring from this position. She and the BOLD board have entrusted Diana and me with this responsibility. We sincerely hope that we can serve BOLD and all of the members who enjoy the PSO and Chamber music as well as she has. We are not yet fully active in this role but will be meeting with Joyce soon and taking over later this summer. In the meantime, we would like to provide our contact information for symphony and chamber music inquiries. Tony's cell: 412-310-2508 email: tony.diana.rock@gmail.com
BOLD BITS
Terri, A BOLD Board member, would like to organize monthly calls on the BOLD conference line featuring subjects that you, the BOLD members, would be interested in hearing about. She would like your ideas on what topics such as agencies, organizations or even individuals you would like to learn about. To give Terri your ideas you can call her at 412-441-0925, text her at 412-595-6187 or email her terriwinaught2@gmail.com.
Happy July Birthday to Bonnie Newland, and anyone else celebrating a July birthday!
Happy August Birthday to John Dern, Connie Elosser, Charlotte Ford, Leslie Gottschalk, Joseph Hoyle, Ryan Leverett, Marty Mathews, Randi Shelton, Debi Sterling, Tobi Williams and anyone else celebrating an August birthday!
NEWSLETTER RECORDING
Thanks to the fine work of Marty Mathews, anyone can hear a recording of this newsletter by calling 401-252-0029 Access Code: 265365#.
Be a BOLD Ventures Sponsor
BOLD prides itself on the fact that our monthly newsletter, BOLD Ventures, is made available to our members in the format of their choice—email, braille, print and large print. But doing this involves various costs. You could help defray some of the cost by being a BOLD Ventures sponsor for a month. Your willingness to help is much appreciated. If you would like to sponsor one of the upcoming BOLD Ventures, just make a $50 donation to BOLD. If you wish for your donation, you will get your name and a short greeting of your choice in BOLD Ventures. For more information and to set up your sponsorship, contact Debby at 412-742-4288 or dm-hill@comcast.net.
Contact Us
WPA BOLD
PO Box 9101
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Donate: Donate
Email: boldwpa@gmail.com
Website: www.wpabold.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wpabold
Editors: Debby Hill & friends